The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-03-26

four a. m.,) in blanket, fancying he
heard noise down stairs. Down we
went, but found nothing. OF course not
"Now look here, SIR l whispered, eff
I'm to manage this, let me do it, but please
don't put your oar in"
II can't Sleep" he said II get up at all
hours I'm in so heavy sleep that I'm
always late"
l went back to bed somewhat disguised,
| for it was sharp October night, and
was tired out with my long journey. But
his words put an idea into my head, and l
remembered something I once read about.
However, for the present | will put this
aside.
The next day he took me after breakfast
into the glass panelled room where he sat,
and through little peephole scraped in
the ground glass | reconnoitred the bank
staff They were all scratching away with
industrious pens, and shoveling out money
to the customers, of whom, being market
day, there were many
Now l don't, know why, but didn't
seem inclined to notice any one i? particu-
lar but Mr.. Lenton (Mr. Dale's sisters
SOM and Mr. Mason, the clerk who sore
\ 80 admirable character. They sat side
BY side in the bank, and were evidently on
very friendly terms.
Lenton was handsome young fellow,
with what you call a ''dashing" look about
him; the clerk was just the contrary, being
very quiet and demure-a thoughtful
young chap, too thoughtful, fancied, if
he had only the ordinary bank business on
his mind.
As | sat looking out, the old cashier,
Mr.. Mitley, came in looking perplexed.
Seeing me he hesitated. Mr.. Dale told
him 1 was a friend, and he might speak
before me.
"Well, sir" said the old man, handing
the manager sheet Of paper, "this note
account is wrong There is twenty-five
pound note less than there ought to be"
| "Nonsense," said Mr.. Dale peremptorily;
then, noticing the hurt look of the old
cashier, he said, carelessly, ~ beg your
pardon, Mitley; so there is. Oh 1 re-
member l paid one away on my private ac
count. Debit my account with it"
The old man withdrew satisfied Then
Mr.. Dale, with an angry look, turned to
me.
"Another one missing since yesterday
Staining, even since you've been here
They were all right, as Mitloy says, last
night"
| said nothing, but thought much; but l
wasn't going to commit myself
When the bank closed (by the way, be-
sides Mr.. and Mrs. Dale, their three female
servants, a boot-boy, and the two nephews
were the persons who slept in the house,
while the keys were in Mr.. Dale's room,
though that didn't prove much, for some
times notes "went" in the daytime took
a stroll, ostensibly to look at houses for
sale; really to follow Nessrs. Lenton and
Mason, who went off for walk together.
l followed them along dreary county road,
with about the worst fints that ever cut
their London boots, till they came some
two miles out of the town to public house,
the Blue Lion. 1t was an ordinary place
enough, and the landlord stupid sort of a
fellow, but he had some good beer, which
is favority "vanity" of mine. So lit
my brair-root, drank my beer, and studied
the prospect while trying to hear what |
could Of Lenton and Mason's conversation,
who were quietly drinking glass of ale
each, in very harmless way, in the win
dow. Ofcourse neither of them had caught
sight of me in the bank, and as for strang
ers, they were always plentiful in Moreton.
Detectives are said by people who write
about them to fit facta to their own thooF
ies Perhaps they do, sometimes Any
how, did on this occasion, when | found
the object of my two gentlemen's visit to
the Blue Lion was to see well-known
sporting paper, which, with so strict view
as was taken in Moreton of banking peo
pie, they couldn't have gone to town
public-house to see, or bought, OF borrowed
without the chance Of row; for Moreton
is place, big as it is, where everybody
knows everybody else.
The two pored over this paper as if they
had something "big" on the next bid race,
and began to think could guess where
the notes went, Not that | endorse the
humb4g talked about betting whenever
young fellow comes to grief. There are
many things quite as likely to be the causes
of it; but in this particular instance |
thought it more than probable had got
something like clue to the puzzle.
After time the young men retired,
having had long and subdued conyersa.
ton, and | was left te digest what | had
heard-not much, certainly, but something:
| said nothing to Mr.. Dale, stayed on
in my capacity of investor who couldn't
find any Investments to suit him, and kept
my eyes open. Several days passed, and
no more notes were missed. Mr.. Dale got
rather more tranquilizsd, and Mrs. Dale
ventured to play her piano to him In the
evening, which for some time he had been
too irritable to listen to, much to her sur
prise, as neither she nor any one else had
been told of the missing notes, and he was
generally very good-tempered with her,
though shoFt-temPered with mast Psqplei
But one day a discovery was made, not
through me, though for my credits sake |
had spoken my suspicious of the party con-
cerned to Mr.. Dale namely, young Mason.
| told him l fancied he was in some way
connected with sporting matters, and got
for my pains an incredqloEs laugh, and
hasty remark about detectives acuteness.
This nettled me, so just told him about
the scene in the Blue Lion.
He was enFaged, then, | could see, both
with ne and the two young fellows hut
just as he was going to say something about
it in came old Mitley, as usual, with bun
die of notes that day cashed or paid in.
Mr.. Dale ran his eye carelessly over them
-paused-stared- consulted his pocket
book, and then said, with an afectation of
indifference
"Where did this ive-pound note come
from, Miteley? Its very greasy"
AMr, Mason asked me to change 1t,
sir"
''Mr Mason Very good, you can go"
The door closed and the manager turned
to me, his face mixture of regret and
anger. II owe you an apology, Staining,
for laughing at you about Mason. | am